Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has introduced a new field titled ‘Mode of Export of Services’ in the Electronic Bank Realisation Certificate (eBRC) format for service exports, effective May 1, 2025. This update is part of ongoing efforts to enhance the self-certification process for exporters on the DGFT portal and aligns India’s data collection framework with global standards under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Exporters certifying eBRCs linked to Indian Reference Modules (IRMs) must now specify the mode of export—classified into four types under GATS: Mode 1 (Cross-border Supply), Mode 2 (Consumption Abroad), Mode 3 (Commercial Presence), and Mode 4 (Presence of Natural Persons). This change aims to improve the accuracy and detail of service export reporting. Exporters can access updated user manuals via the DGFT portal and are encouraged to submit feedback through email. For assistance, the DGFT Helpdesk is available through the official website or toll-free number. This initiative is in accordance with provisions under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, and reflects a move towards standardized international data practices for trade in services.
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Department of Commerce
Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi – 110 011
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Trade Notice No. 02/2025-26 | Dated: April 21, 2025
To,
1. All Exporters/Members of Trade & Industry
2. All Banking and Financial institutions
3. All Export Promotion Councils/Commodity Boards
4. All DGFT Regional Authorities
Subject: Introduction of ‘Mode of Export of Services’ Field in eBRC Format for Services Exports with effect from May 01, 2025 – regarding.
Reference is invited to Trade Notice No. 12/2024-25 dated August 14, 2024 and Trade Notice No. 33/2023-24 dated November 10, 2023. This Directorate has enhanced the online self-certification process for Electronic Bank Realisation Certificates (eBRCs), enabling exporters to self-certify export realisations directly on the DGFT portal via API integration or bulk upload functionality.
2. In this regard, attention is drawn to Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) [FTDR] Act, 1992, Chapter 1, Para 2, Sub-para (j) which states that,-“services” means service of any description which is made available to potential users and includes all the tradable services specified under the General Agreement on Trade in Services entered into amongst India and other countries who are party to the said Agreement: Provided that, this definition shall not apply to the domain of taxation;
2.1. The given service export classification nomenclature is also defined in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
3. Accordingly, this Directorate is introducing a new field titled ‘Mode of Export of Services’ in the eBRC format for the Services Export category, applicable for eBRC generated on or after May 01, 2025. Exporters certifying eBRCs linked to IRMs will be required to indicate the relevant mode of export of service while completing the certification. The inclusion of this field is aimed at improving the granularity and accuracy of services export data. This reform also aligns India’s data capture policy with international norms under WTO GATS.
4. This new field – ‘Mode of Export of Services’ – corresponds to the four modes of services trade which have been mentioned under GATS, namely:-
| Mode | Definition | Example Services |
| Mode 1: Cross-Services Border Supply | supplied (from India) remotely across borders without movement of individuals. | IT services, remote consulting, telemedicine |
| Mode 2: Consumption Abroad |
Consumer travels to the service provider’s country (i.e. to India) | Tourism, medical treatment in India, foreign students |
| Mode 3: Commercial Presence | Service supplier (from India) establishes a commercial entity abroad. | Indian bank branches overseas, IT company subsidiaries |
| Mode 4: Presence of Natural Persons | Individual (from India) travels abroad temporarily to provide services. | Engineers, doctors, IT professionals on assignment |
5. Help manual & Feedback:
User Manuals may be accessed on the DGFT website under the ‘Learn’ section (Application Help and FAQs -> eBRC). Stakeholders are also encouraged to provide their feedback via email to ebrc-dgft@gov.in
6. Support Channels:
For assistance, exporters may contact the DGFT Helpdesk through the toll-free number or raise a service ticket via the DGFT website under Services -> DGFT Helpdesk Service.
This Trade Notice is issued with the approval of the competent authority.
(Md. Moin Afaque)
Joint Director General of Foreign Trade
E-mail: afaque.moin@gov.in
(Issued from File No.: 01/02/74/AM-24/EG&TF)
